Lovebirds
by I'll Eat Yourself
Summary: A Spyro/Cynder romance I came up with a while back. Updates whenever possible. I know, this summary sucks.
1. Lovebirds

So. My first Spyro fic. And it's a romance. I actually came up with this sometime in June or July, but I never felt like writing it because I thought I wouldn't be able to finish it. Well, now it's written, it's great, and I actually made up most of the story as I wrote it. Cool, huh? By the way, this story takes place a few months after the end of the third game. The ending scene is what inspired the little game thay are playing at the beginning of this story. Anyway, enjoy!

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><p><strong>Chapter 1: Lovebirds<strong>

"Bet ya can't catch me!"

"Remember who you're talking to, Cynder!"

Cynder spun around in midair to face Spyro.

"Just because you're the purple dragon, doesn't mean you are the fastest dragon alive," Cynder pointed out loudly so he could hear her.

"Oh yeah, I keep forgetting that there are some things being the Purple Dragon doesn't grant you," Spyro yelled back, "But that still doesn't mean I can't catch ya somehow!"

Spyro then zoomed after Cynder. Cynder yelped in surprise and made a nosedive, then swiftly pulled out and flew straight up behind Spyro as he attempted to come down to meet her, confusing the hero as he tried to turn around too quickly and lost his control. Cynder saw this and whirled around to watch him descend rapidly toward the ground.

There was the sound of a huge impact as Spyro, who had turned into a boulder using his earth power, broke into the ground, sending up debris everywhere. Cynder wasn't expecting this, and got hit right in the face with a large hunk of dirt. This caused her to fall a few meters, and when she could finally see again, Spyro was right in her face.

"Gotcha," he said, tagging her.

"Dangit, you cheater!" Cynder said playfully.

"Hey, I may not be faster than you, but I sure as heck am stronger and smarter. I had actually regained control after only a few seconds. I decided to make it look as if I hadn't, so while I WAS flailing around, I was actually flapping my wings at specific times and in specific ways to make me descend faster than if I were falling. I then activated my earth power an instant before impact, and-"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. YOUR IT!" Cynder yelled in his face as she tagged him again and raced into the air.

"HEY, NO FAIR! I WASN'T DONE YET!" Spyro yelled at her as he raced after her.

They continued like this for a long while, trying to pass the time.

Eventually, Spyro ended up having something akin to a drag race with Cynder. She forbade him from using his breaths this time, and then proceeded to fly dead ahead, Spyro pursuing her. He was ever so slowly catching up, but she would occasionally flap her wings, causing her to speed up, whereas Spyro was flapping his wings constantly and was barely keeping up with her. They were so absorbed in their chase that they didn't even notice that they were now flying over the cheetah tribe's camp. Then again, Cynder didn't want to let Spyro catch her. He needed the exercise and practice or he'd NEVER catch up. Part of his problem was that he was a male dragon, so he was a little more bulky than her, built for fighting rather than flying, despite his larger wings. She had learned how to use her sleeker, slimmer, lighter frame to her advantage, so not only did it allow her to fly faster, but it also made her harder to hit in combat, making her more deadly at the same time. Spyro only had a flimsy pointed thing on the end of his tail, good for nothing other than better flight control and balance. Cynder, on the other hand, had a blade-like scale on the corner of each wing, and another larger one on the tip of her tail, great for slashing and shredding enemies to bits, as well as being used for sharper turns while flying by using it like another wing, among other things. Now if only they could figure out ways to use Spyro's bulkier frame and flimsy tail to his own unique advantage, other than using it like a weak whip or a means of grabbing things, of course.

As she had said earlier, Spyro wasn't better at everything, but being the purple dragon still had its perks. For one thing, he was more powerful. Second, he could use the Purple Fury, and although Cynder had her own version, the Black Fury, his was still a little stronger. Lastly, he had sharper sight and hearing, better judgment, and quicker reflexes, which is why he was able to spot a silvery glint headed straight for Cynder, and hear the sharp whistle of an arrow whizzing through the air.

"CYNDER, LOOK OUT!" He yelled as loud as he could to her, knowing he wouldn't be able to stop it in time.

Cynder heard him and turned her head a little, allowing her to spot the arrow just before it came within a meter of her. She spun to her left, grabbing the arrow with her tail in the process, then used its momentum and her own to continue her spin and fling it back to its source.

"WHOA, WATCH IT GUYS!" yelled the yellow, spotted cheetah as he dove to the side, narrowly missing getting speared in the head by his own arrow.

Spyro and Cynder looked at each other.

"Hunter!" they said in unison.

"YES, IT'S ME. COULD YOU COME DOWN HERE SO I CAN TALK TO YOU WITHOUT YELLING AT THE TOP OF MY LUNGS!" Hunter yelled back to them, standing up as he did so.

They complied, but Spyro came down on top of him, causing them to roll across the grass only for Spyro to pin him down and yell "Why did you attack Cynder!" to his face.

"Relax; the sun prevented me from seeing you guys clearly. I only saw a pair of silhouettes, so I thought you guys were a pair of birds flying over. I was just hoping to catch some dinner before it was too late, so I shot at the one in the lead in the hopes of bringing the second one down afterward. I had no idea it was YOU two! Honest!"

"Really? Because I certainly don't remember any birds having tails this size and wings of this shape," Spyro questioned further.

"The sun blinded me in such a way that I couldn't see the thinner parts of your bodies, so your tails looked about the length of a bird's. Now can you get off of me so I can have a normal conversation with you guys?"

Spyro relaxed his grip and stood back so Hunter could stand up.

"So what were you two lovebirds doing all the way out here, anyway?" Hunter asked them.

"Oh, ha ha, very funny Hunter, calling us loveBIRDS after thinking we were BIRDS and trying to kill your two best friends. I'll admit, you've got guts to make a joke like that at a time like this," Spyro said back to him grimly.

"Spyro, calm down, it was just an honest mistake," Cynder said, "Besides; did you REALLY think I couldn't take a hit from a hunting arrow like that? We defeated MALEFOR for Pete's sake, the least you could do is let it go and give the guy a break!"

"You're right Cynder. I guess I'm still getting used to the peace after all the betrayal and other stuff that was involved in the war. Sorry Hunter." Spyro apologized.

"Hey, no problem, at least nobody got hurt right? Again, what were you guys doing here anyway?" Hunter said.

"Oh, we were just having some fun chasing each other around." Cynder said.

"Oh, is that all? Well then, if you need something to do, we have a ceremonial celebration coming up soon. You guys are welcome to join our tribe for the celebration if you would like."

"What's the celebration for?" Spyro asked.

"Oh, nothing much, except that I'm the new tribe leader." Hunter answered.

"Really!" Spyro asked.

"No way!" Cynder said in surprise.

"It's true! By the way, where is Sparx?"

"You just noticed he wasn't with us?" Spyro asked him.

"Actually, I noticed a little while ago, because I realized he wasn't the one commenting on the "lovebirds" remark. He's usually the joker of the group, not me or you Spyro!"

"Oh. Well, he wasn't feeling well, and decided he'd stay home for the day and leave us to be alone together for a while. He knew he could get annoying at times anyway." Spyro answered.

"Well well, I guess he's actually quite understanding and wise when it comes to relationships. Anyway, are you going to the ceremony or not?" Hunter answered back.

Spyro and Cynder looked at each other for a moment.

"HECK YES!" They answered in unison, so suddenly to his face that Hunter jumped and fell onto his hindquarters in surprise.

"Good, I'll let the rest of the tribe know your coming. Now I just hope this doesn't ruin the possibility of Prowlus coming to join us. He still holds a grudge on you guys, even after you proved him wrong."

"Speaking of which, why is he no longer the chief?" Spyro inquired.

"Oh, the tribe thought he was unfit to continue as the leader due to his bad judgment and stubborn attitude. They decided it only seemed fit for me to be the new chief, since I'm the reason this world still exists in the first place." A grunt from Spyro. Hunter continued, "After all, if I hadn't shot that Golem in the eye in those catacombs, you'd probably be dead."

"Why am I not surprised?" Spyro thought aloud.

"Spyro, knock it off with the attitude already, will ya?" Cynder half-glared at him.

"I didn't mean that, I meant I'm not surprised that Prowlus was deemed unfit to lead the tribe," Spyro responded.

"Oh. So when's the celebration?" Cynder asked.

"Good question, I almost forgot to tell you. It's tomorrow, starting sometime around sundown. That doesn't interfere with anything, right?" Hunter said curiously.

"Nope," the two dragons answered in unison.

"Good. I'll see you then?"

"Yep!" Cynder said joyfully.

"Bye Hunter!" Spyro said as he started walking away.

Cynder followed after Spyro, and Hunter went back into the village. It was starting to get late, so the two decided it was about time they got home. They were both getting hungry, and were already getting a little tired. They began to realize this when they realized they had yawned many times on the way back. Sparx would probably ask them what took them so long to get home. Oh well, it was to be expected from Spyro's brother-turned-best friend. He may be sick, but it's just the average cold, so it was only fit that he be no different. He hasn't been making so many jokes though, but that's what a cold does to a person.

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><p>A bit of a crappy ending, I know, but for the sake of the story and for evening out the chapter lengths, I took out the previous ending I used and used it for the beginning of Chapter 2. Now you know. Also, nothing in that part changed, so you don't have to worry about not seeing the original ending to this, because once you've read chapter 2, you've seen the original ending as it was before I moved it. Also, what did you think of Spyro's little Earth stunt? Clever, no? Earth Style, DRAGON IMPACT! XD I'd actually come up with that while writing the original version of that scene, which just had Spyro slam facefirst into the ground instead. Anyway, Please Review and Subscribe, and tell me what you thought of the stunt, the action scenes, and my descriptions involving their body shapes and whatnot, because I REALLY want to know what you guys thought of those!<p> 


	2. Lifemares

Hey folks! Here's chapter 2 of my Legend of Spyro fic! And yes, everything up until the point where they fall asleep with their tails twisted together is the original ending to Chapter 1! When Spyro wakes up is the first line in the chapter that doesn't come from the first chapter. Just a quick warning, the bottom A/N gives out thanks to those who allowed this story to exist, but please read it anyway, as it would bring respect and pride to those who are mentioned. Anyway, enjoy!

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><p><strong>Chapter 2: Lifemares<strong>

Later after they had eaten their dinner at their cave, Spyro and co. chose to turn in for the night. Sparx had his own little makeshift cubby-hole to sleep in on the other side of the cave. It was actually just a hole in the wall which was flat on the bottom, but nonetheless, it worked. He chose that specific one to be his little "room" because that way he could sleep without disturbing the couple or being disturbed, himself. Spyro and Cynder slept on a mat made of large leaves on top of the feathers from their prey. They even had some flower petals on top of the leaves for extra comfort.

"You know Spyro, I know I've said this countless times before, but you were a genius for thinking of using flower petals for better comfort. It also makes the mat smell nice!" Cynder said with a little giggle at the smell comment.

"Cynder, as you said after your idea with the dam, I have my moments. Plus, I often ended up using flower petals when there was nothing else but grass, because the grass made me itchy. I always loved the feel of flower petals. I'll have to have one of the moles make a pillow with them sometime!"

"..." Sparx said.

"What Sparx? We couldn't hear you. You're not close enough for us to hear you at that voice level," Spyro said to him.

"I said wouldn't the petals wilt and dry up after about a day like they always do!" Sparx answered as loud as he could from his hole. His size and current distance made it difficult for them to hear him without him yelling.

"You know Spyro, Sparx does have a point," Cynder said.

"They have ways of keeping them fresh for as long as you want them to be. You gotta admit, magic is awesome, even at its simplest," Spyro answered.

"You got that right!" Cynder answered joyfully.

Spyro yawned. "We should probably get some sleep so we're awake for the celebration tomorrow."

"I was just about to say the same thing," Cynder answered.

They kissed each other goodnight, then fell asleep with their tails twisted together.

When Spyro woke up, he found that Cynder wasn't there. _Huh. She must have gone out to get breakfast or something. But that can't be right, it's still dark out. _He left the cave quietly so as not to wake Sparx, and headed down to the river nearby to grab a quick drink. When he got down there, he saw Cynder standing there, just staring into the water.

"Cynder?"

"Huh? Oh, it's just you. Darn it, I had hoped to come down here without waking you, but I guess having our tails twisted together made that impossible."

"Actually, I'm not sure what woke me up. Did you really just come down here?"

"Yep."

"What for?"

Cynder sighed. "It's nothing. Just having more 'lifemares'."

"'Lifemares'? What're 'lifemares'?"

"It's just a word I came up with. Basically, they're nightmares involving real-life events."

"The war?"

Cynder nodded her head. "That's the most common subject. But sometimes, like tonight, there are worse ones…" She trailed off.

"…You mean the Hermit."

She just nodded her head again.

Spyro walked over to her and tried to comfort her.

"Cynder, what he said wasn't true, and even if it was, it was never completely true. You stayed good all the way through the war, you broke out of Malefor's control when I refused to fight you, and Malefor is dead now, so he can't even influence you at all now."

"I know. It's just that…I can't help feeling guilty every time I think of that old jerk's words. They always remind me of the sins of my past. I just…" Her eyes began to water, and she choked back a sob.

Spyro wrapped his wing around her. "Cynder, just know that no matter what happens, I will always love you. Even if you turn bad again somehow, I would do everything in my power to turn you back, and as a last resort, I would do everything I could to make sure your plans weren't carried out. Whatever happens, I will be there for you, to prevent you from causing any more harm. And I will never stop loving you, whether you turn bad or not."

Cynder wiped a tear off her cheek, and then looked up at Spyro, a look of gratitude on her face. She then started to tear up again, but this time, they were tears of joy.

"…Thanks Spyro. You have no idea how much that means to me."

"You're welcome Cynder. Now whadda ya say we get back to the cave and get some more sleep. It already looks like breakfast will be late," Spyro said, pointing to the horizon, where the sun was approaching the fine line where the earth touched the sky. In about an hour, the sun would be showing just over the hills, and people would be waking up.

"You're right, we should get back before we sleep through Hunter's party!"

They both just laughed at this.

As they started to head back, Spyro suddenly stopped.

"Oh wait, I forgot to do what I came here for in the first place!"

He then walked back over to the river and began to drink, then decided that wouldn't be enough and dunked his whole head in. Cynder just laughed and waited for him. When he was finished, she kissed him on the cheek, said "Thank you, again," and walked back to the cave with him.

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><p>So what did you think? Sappy? Even though I don't know what Sappy means? XD Anyway, I already have an idea for Chapter 3, thanks partially to my brilliant mind for thinking it up about halfway through typing this chapter. Anyway, thanks to SunnyDee13 for being the first to include one of my stories in their favorites, as well as being the first to subscribe to one of my stories. That includes my Fictionpress works, as nobody has done those for any of those stories either! Thanks also to her for giving me a better plot idea to go on, one that's simpler and would be much easier to use while keeping the basic storyline the same. Thank you, my first loyal fan! By the way, the guy who kind of inspired me to write this through his story is known as Draco Arc Nova. Read his complete story, Eternal Love, and his sequel, Eternal Light, as they are really good and deserve tons of praise. Eternal Love is the story that partially inspired me. That, and I came up with this one not long after buying The Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon for Wii. I usually go nuts about new games that I get, so it only makes sense that a game like that would cause me to go nuts about the main characters not long after getting it. Also, thanks to my best friend, because he grew up playing Spyro. If he hadn't, he probably wouldn't have had any of the games, and thus I would not have been introduced to the Legend of Spyro. I also thank him for his willingness to let me borrow his games anytime, as most people are a little reluctant to do so. Not usually common for me, but people are like that to me sometimes, despite the fact that none of my games have had problems unless they were already messed up when I got them. If he hadn't done that, I would not have gotten the third Legend of Spyro game, and thus would not be typing this right now. I always had an interest in Spyro, but had never played the games until I met him, so thank you too pal!<p>

Oh yeah, Please review and subscribe!


	3. The Morning After

Wouldja look at that! I've done it again! I have updated three days in a row now, if you count the day I posted the first chapter. Let's see how long I can keep it up! Anyway, the title is a little reference to a movie sequel, and although I've never seen the movie, I HAVE heard the name mentioned by Jeff Foxworthy (may he never stop being funny). Anyway, not much romance in this chapter, but a LOT of creativity that I actually came up with within a few seconds. Anyway, enjoy!

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><p><strong>Chapter 3: The Morning After<strong>

A few hours later, after the sun had risen, it was Cynder's turn to wake up and find her fiancé missing. She didn't think much of it. After all, this time it DID make sense to go find breakfast. She decided she would go back down to the river and see if Spyro was down there. They usually caught fish in the mornings, because that was the best time for river fishing in that area. Cynder didn't know HOW Spyro managed to catch so many fish, but whatever he did, it worked wonders. Well, when she wasn't with him anyway. She'd tried asking him, but he just told her he had "skills" or something like that, which she knew was an obvious lie. Little did she know she would find out soon enough what he was really doing.

When Cynder got down to the river, she found out she was right. Spyro WAS fishing. Since they couldn't use spears, they often did it the old fashioned way: bobbing. Or that's what Spyro called it, because it always made him feel like he was bobbing for apples. They would lie in wait for an unsuspecting fish to swim or leap by, depending on which direction it was going, and then when the time was right, they'd snatch it up in their jaws, bite it hard to kill it, and then place it on the ground. Sometimes they'd even let its blood drip into the river to attract the more carnivorous fish when they felt like it.

Cynder realized that Spyro hadn't seen her yet, as she was still some distance away, so she decided to see Spyro's method of getting the fish when she wasn't around.

Cynder just stood back and watched for a while. Spyro just sat there, staring. She was about to get bored, thinking he really WAS telling the truth, and just walk up to him, but then she saw him start to move. He dipped his claw just barely into the surface of the water (_why does it seem to have a slight bluish hue to it?_), and then the water suddenly froze over completely (_Oh, THAT'S why._). He then walked over to a seemingly random spot and barely tapped the ice there with the same claw, only it was an orange hue this time. The ice underneath and around it melted into a small pool. He then dunked his head into the pool. When he pulled it out, there was a fish flopping around in his mouth. He bit it suddenly, and the fish went rigid. He carried it with him over to another spot, set it down, and repeated the process in another spot. When he had all the fish he needed, he put them in a pile in the grass nearby and unfroze the river. Just as he was walking back to his pile, Cynder decided to take her chance and walked up to him.

"I see what you did thar," she told him, using a somewhat common phrase some people used on occasion when they saw something amazing or something they probably weren't supposed to see.

"AAH! Oh, it's just you Cynder. Saw what now?" He said back to her with a sly, sarcastic grin on his face.

"Your 'skills', as you've told me so many times before," she told him.

"That doesn't explain anything," he retaliated.

Cynder sighed with annoyance. "You froze the river to stop the fish where they were, then walked over to the best ones, unfroze them in a small pool so they couldn't escape without leaving the water, and picked them up and killed them. When you were done, you unfroze the water to erase the evidence, along with other reasons that have nothing to do with it."

"Alright, you got me. Although, it was a pretty clever trick, wouldn't you say so?"

Cynder gave another exasperated sigh. "Sure, whatever."

"Do you want to see how I get them back already cooked?"

"…You know, THAT little detail had completely slipped my mind somehow. Yeah, how DO you do that?"

"Watch and learn!"

He walked over to the pile of fish and turned to look back at Cynder briefly, just to make sure she was watching. Then he looked back at the fish and used his Electric powers to create an orb of electricity around him. He then directed the flow of energy toward the pile of fish. The fish suddenly, yet slowly, floated up to the orb and stuck to it. Spyro began to rise into the air.

"Follow me!" he yelled to Cynder, who was just watching him in awe at his brilliance.

She followed him as he half-flew, half-floated back to the cave. When they got there, Spyro lowered himself so he was just above the ground, directed the current of electricity so the fish were all in the same general area on the orb, then ended the flow. He landed on his feet with a grin on his face as if nothing had happened, and the fish, now fully cooked, landed on the ground with a series of plops.

"So. Whadda ya think?" Spyro asked Cynder.

Cynder just stared at him for a moment, gaping, and then suddenly shook herself back to reality.

"That was…brilliant!" She said.

"It was, wasn't it?"

"But how did you think that up?"

"I remembered how static electricity worked, and I also remembered the way I used to move things around and throw Apes all over the place with electricity, and I realized that by forming an orb of electricity around me and controlling its current, I could turn myself into a living electro-magnet, and the electrical current would also cook the fish in the process!"

"But doesn't the electro-magnet thing only work with metal?"

"Since it employs static electricity as well, it can also work with other things. It takes a more focused blast for most other things though, especially the heavier things."

"Once again, I gotta admit, you're a genius."

"And as I've said so many times before, as have you, I have my moments."

Spyro then began to walk into the cave, a sly, clever grin on his face, and a fish inside it. Cynder decided to follow suit, and grabbed her own fish to eat. It tasted just as good as ever, although now that she knew how it was done, she realized it wasn't as good as it would be if fished for and cooked like normal people would, but it was still better than usual, which said something about their cooking. As they were eating, they tried to figure out what they would do for the rest of the day until Hunter's party. They finally decided to just go about the day as they normally would.

Cynder's final words during the meal? "Wow, that was good!"

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><p>So what did you think? And by the way, "thar" is not a typo, that's actually a phrase some people use when they are joking around or whatever while texting or something. If you see any mistakes I made, let me know. Oh yeah, the whole "Elemental Claws" thing was just something I made up. I just decided that he would, by now, have learned how to control the elements in more ways than just his breath. Review and Subscribe please!<p>

WARNING: OC coming up soon. ;)


	4. It

Hey folks! I'm back again, and I have once again posted a chapter a day after the previous one! My OC will be introduced in this chapter, and just to let you knoew, its looks are based on my own. Minus the weapons and whatnot. This is because it is basically my imaginary self, or rather, a version of it. I also decided right before typing this that I would toss Sparx in there as well, so enjoy!

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><p><strong>Chapter 4: It<strong>

Morning came and went, noon came and went, Sparx came and went, and 5:00 came and went, until eventually, the sun began to set. Spyro and Cynder were a little worn out due to all the chasing each other and whatnot they had been doing. They were also a little annoyed, because due to the knowledge of the party, the day seemed to go by MUCH slower. But now, they were starting to get a little excited.

"Hey Cynder, *pant* I think it's about time *wheeze* we headed over *cough* to the party. It's better *wheeze* to be early *pant* than it is to be late *HACK*," Spyro said, very clearly out of breath.

"I think you are absolutely right!" Cynder answered

"And exactly HOW are you not out of breath?" Spyro said back to her, still trying to catch his breath a little.

"Because I was going easy on you the whole time you were chasing me!" Cynder replied, almost laughing.

"WHAT!"

"I came up with the idea to use my wind powers to aid my flight even MORE. I could quite possibly be the fastest dragon alive right about now!"

"Oh, that's just GREAT," Spyro said without even trying to hide the annoyance in his voice, "I could possibly do the same thing by creating an icy wind with my ice powers. The problem is, I WOULD DIE OF FROSTBITE BY THE TIME WE LANDED!"

"Oh calm down Spyro, I'll use it on you, too, if the need ever arises. Now I think we should get going."

"Alright, let me just finish catching my breath, then we can go get Sparx and head on over."

Once Spyro had caught his breath, they did just that. Once they had Sparx with them, they began to head over to the Cheetah camp. Cynder volunteered to try using her wind powers on Spyro and Sparx as well, in order to try and get there sooner, just in case it started earlier than originally planned. After all, Hunter hadn't given them an exact time, just an approximate one, as it was nearly impossible to tell exact time in this age. They eventually made it, however, and realized the Cheetahs and some other...thing…were still setting up. The instant they touched down, Hunter walked up to greet them.

"Ah, Spyro and co. I see you made it here safely, and with perfect timing too, so if you'll just hang on a moment, I will announce the beginning of the celebration, and then I'll let you two do whatever you guys plan to do."

Hunter then walked to the center of the camp and began a short speech.

"May I have everyone's attention please!" He started. The noise slowly died down as everyone turned their attention to him. "I am thankful to welcome you all here today for this grand celebration. I would also like you all to welcome Spyro and his friends to this party as well, as I invited them personally. Now that that's over, let the festivities…begin!"

He stood there for a moment, watching as the people around him began to cheer and talk with each other and the band began to play, and then walked over to one of the many tables of food.

Spyro got Cynder's attention and pointed to the unusual, yet highly intelligent looking creature.

"Cynder, do you have any idea what that thing is?"

"No, I don't."

Sparx piped up. "If you ask me, I think it looks like a hairless monkey without a tail."

Sparx got half-glares from both dragons at that one, because although it was rude, he did have a point.

"…Should we go ask him?" Spyro asked Cynder.

"There doesn't seem to be any other way," she replied.

They began to walk over toward the odd creature, which was now leaning against a table with cookies on it, munching on a cookie himself. Now that they could get a closer look, it was wearing an oddly durable-looking pair of blue pants with holes beginning to form in the knees, an unsnapped red and gold jacket also made of strange material with a white "SF" in a red and black oval near the left shoulder, a white shirt with a green, cartoony snake on it and the word "Castillero" above it, "Scholars" below it, and 2007 naxt to it all in the same color, an odd yet comfortable-looking pair of shoes, and durable-looking glasses. He also had brown-blonde hair, blue eyes, and a faint grin on his face. On his back, he carried a pair of somewhat short, expensive-looking, single-edged swords with a slight curve to them (Spyro and Cynder became a little more cautious when they saw this, but Sparx, of course, didn't.). They were barely visible since they were underneath his jacket, but they were still visible. His pants' pockets seemed to be bulging a little. What was in them was unknown to the trio, but they didn't really care about it much. What worried them the most, however, was that he was now looking right at them, and yet didn't look worried or surprised in the least.

"Ah, so the two famous dragons and their famous little jester have arrived at last!" The thing said aloud with a somewhat high, almost child-like voice the moment he saw them, as Sparx said "Hehheh, I'm famous."

Spyro, being the hero he was, did not greet it first, but instead asked, "Why are you carrying two swords on your back?" with a threatening look on his face.

"Relax; I take these with me everywhere I go. The only time I don't is on special occasions, when taking them would do more harm than good," the thing answered back.

"How do we know we can trust you?" Cynder asked this time.

"Why would I be here, not even trying to hide myself or my swords, if I was a threat?" it retaliated, grinning.

"Touché," Cynder sighed, and dropped her guard. Spyro did the same, and then asked, "So who and what are you, anyway?"

"I am what is known as a "human". You may have not heard of my race, but that is because I am from a different reality altogether. In my world, Dragons do not exist, and animals are unintelligent, follow only their instincts, and cannot speak. My name is Shike."

"Sheik?" Sparx asked.

"No, not 'Sheik', Shike. Like 'pike', but with an 'sh' instead of a 'p'."

"A S**T HOLE INSTEAD OF A PEN-"

"SPARX!" Spyro and Cynder both yelled in his face, glaring fiercely.

"Ok, ok, I'm sorry, I couldn't help it." Sparx apologized.

Shike just laughed at this. "Don't worry about it; I used to get made fun of all the time. But you may want to watch your language, Sparx."

"Right, sorry, I don't even know where I got that thought from."

Spyro decided to ask the question that was on all of their minds but Sparx's.

"How did you reach our world from your own?"

"Now, THAT is something I cannot tell you. It is something only I must know, or the fate of all worlds could be threatened."

Both dragons understood what he meant, as judging by Shike's clothing and information, his race was far more advanced, and would either take over other realities, or would get taken over by their own if the information were to reach evil ears. They decided to drop the matter.

"So how old are you anyway? Fourteen?" Cynder asked him.

"Actually, I'm seventeen," Shike answered back.

Both dragons had an expression of great surprise on their faces.

"Wow, the high voice and young face really throw people off, don't they?" Spyro said, still amazed.

"Eh, it happens all the time. I'm used to it."

Then Cynder thought of something else that had slipped her mind.

"So, even if you're from a different reality, that doesn't explain why you're here."

Spyro threw in a "Good Point" as Shike began to answer.

"I met Hunter while he was still searching for you two, before you defeated Malefor. In fact, I'm the one who pointed him in the right direction!"

"But why didn't you free us yourself if you knew our location?"

"Because, back in my world, I am just an everyday teenager and this world is part of what we call a "video game". When I go to other realities, which range from books to games to my own imagination, I revert to a version of my imaginary self, which is MUCH stronger, MUCH more lethal, and MUCH wiser. This is because I am basically entering my own imagination. I knew what would happen if I didn't intervene, but I did NOT know what would happen if I did, so I chose not to. Besides, I possibly could have defeated Malefor myself, but it was neither my duty nor my destiny to do so."

Spyro and Cynder just stared, mouths practically on the ground, once again in awe. Sparx just said "I don't get it."

Shike decided to simplify it a little. "Basically, Sparx, my imagination becomes my reality."

"OOOOOOHHH, NOW I get it," Sparx said with an embarrassed yet happy grin on his face. Then he realized the full extent of what Shike had said, and ended up with the same expression on his face that Spyro and Cynder had.

Spyro eventually picked his mouth up off the ground. "But if you're just the average teen, as you put it, in your world, then doesn't that mean many other humans can do that too?"

"Actually, no. I discovered by accident that I alone could do that. I eventually learned to master it, and now I can do it whenever I feel like it. The fact that My imagination becomes my reality means I can also time-travel, though I'd prefer not to, and I can head back to my own reality whenever I feel like it without anybody noticing I was even gone. This is because time in my own reality doesn't pass while I am in this one."

"Oh, that makes sense," Spyro said, casually this time.

They continued to chat for a while about recent happenings and whatnot, eating cookies and other deserts on occasion. Soon, they heard an odd rustling in the trees and bushes nearby…

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><p>Cliffhanger! XD What will happen next? o.O My imaginary self is often seen with at least one Katana, usually two, in my mind, so that explains the Katanas. Anyway, tell me what you thought of this chapter, my OC, and his name, in a review please! And subscribe too, will ya? I may not update for the next week due to my dad grounding me yesterday. I shouldn't even be doing this right now, but my family went to a wedding reception or something, so I was free to do what I wanted for at least an hour! XD Anyway, I would suggest you subscribe to this from now on, as my updates may be less frequent. By the way, the shirt Shike was wearing is the same shirt I am wearing today. Also, special thanks to "soldier of knowledge" and his story "A Dark Fate" for being the source of my idea of Cynder using her wind powers to aid her flight, and thanks to the webcomic "Furthia High" for the idea for the Hairless Monkey remark. Lastly, I decided against making my OC a reference to the Shadows of Katsumoto from Draco Arc Nova's story. Anyway, Ciao!<p> 


	5. It Has Skills

Hey folks! I am finally back with a new chapter! After about a week of slight writer's block and Goldeneye taking up my schedule, I finally decided to just write out the fight scene with a few slight changes and additions, and end the chapter right after. If it's a bit short, then sorry about that, but I'm still trying to figure out how the next chapter should go, so if I didn't end this chapter where I did, you wouldn't be reading this right now. Anyway, enjoy!

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><p><strong>Chapter 5: It Has Skills<strong>

They all quieted down, and turned toward the source of the rustling. Spyro and Cynder looked at each other. Then, they nodded a confirmation to each other that they were ready, and began to move forward. Just then, Shike held a hand in front of them.

"Don't do anything," he whispered, "just watch. I'll take care of this my own way."

"But why not us?" Spyro asked.

"Because, you guys will be heard by the other people nearby, which will cause a ruckus. MY way will be silent, just as effective, and a little faster."

"Good point," Cynder whispered back.

"Now, I need you to back up a bit so I have room."

The two dragons and their dragonfly did as they were told. A grumbling sound could be heard in the bushes now.

_Grublins_, Spyro and Cynder thought to themselves.

_Grumblins_, Sparx thought to himself, chuckling lightly at the pun.

Shike moved forward a bit, forming a sort of battle-ready stance as he did, and then moved his right hand toward his somewhat bulging right pocket. He put his hand partway into his pocket, and pulled out a shuriken throwing star. This one was odd though, as it had small hollow grooves cut into the blade, two in each edge for a maximum of 16 grooves. Shike reached his arm back, and threw it like a normal person would: with his hand on top, his thumb underneath. About a half-second after releasing, flames came out of the grooves, turning it into a spinning, bladed disc of fire. It passed into the gap in the trees where the bushes were, illuminating them as it did so, revealing about seven grublins hiding behind the bushes. Shike was already prepared with his hand hovering just above his pocket. He pulled out another shuriken, this time with small holes in the top and bottom.

"Shut your eyes!" Shike yelled quietly to the trio.

They did so, but kept their eyes open a little out of curiosity. Sparx kept his eyes wide open, thinking, _I've seen enough blood and gore in my time with Spyro to not care about it. Why should I shut my eyes?_

He threw it into the gap in the trees, and it suddenly made a small "pop" and a blinding flash was emitted from it. The whole trio suddenly shut their eyes tight, as Sparx yelled "Help me, I'm blind!" The grublins were all suddenly blinded as well, and started to freak out, running around like crazy. One the group hadn't seen even fell out of a tree, the count rising to eight. Shike then pulled out a few more shuriken, but with four in each hand, rather than one in his right. They were grooved, just like the first one. He moved them in his hands so they were positioned between his fingers, and then crossed his arms in front of his chest and leaned back. He then flung his arms behind him, throwing the shuriken in such a way that every one of them headed for a different grublin. Just like before, flames shot out of them a half second after release. The ones that struck their targets began to burn them to death, as the fire not only spread along their wood-like skin, but also began burning them on the inside due to the large cuts the blades had made, killing them quickly and effectively. The ones that missed struck a nearby bush or other form of plant life, lighting it on fire and scaring the target grublin away. The same grublin that fell out of the tree seemed to be more intelligent than the rest, because right after it was hit, it ran to the river and jumped in to put out the fire on its body. It then remembered one crucial fact, which also proved its still-dominant stupidity: it couldn't swim. After about a minute, its body floating in such a way that its face stayed under water, it drowned.

Shike waited for just a bit, allowing the small fires to die down from lack of dry wood and making sure there were no grublins left, and then started walking into the small gap to collect his shuriken. Just as he passed by a bush, a grublin lashed out at him from the left. It didn't get the chance to hit him, however, because just as it got within range, Shike kicked it with his left foot, then pulled one of his swords out of its sheath and stabbed it downward into the creature. He then pulled his sword out, wiped it with a handkerchief he pulled out from his back pocket, put his sword back into its sheath, and proceeded to retrieve his shuriken.

Sparx, no longer blinded, decided to state the obvious. "Dang, it has skills! And I thought Ignitus had skills for a dragon his age!"

Spyro just looked at him, and then shook his head in embarrassment. He then decided to ask Shike something that came to mind.

"Shike, exactly where did you get throwing stars like that? I've never seen anything that could do that before."

Shike pulled out one of his shuriken that had lodged in a tree, and turned to face Spyro.

"I designed them, actually. How they work is a long story, and if I told you, you wouldn't understand, because they use technology you don't have yet."

Spyro just decided to go along with that, as he didn't really have much choice anyway. It's not like he would understand it, after all. Not unless it was magic.

"Now," Shike said, "let's continue this party as if nothing had happened, shall we?"

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><p>The cliffhanger has fallen to his imminent doom! XD So what did you think? Chapter six may not be up for a while, as I mentioned before, but until then, please review and subscribe!<p> 


	6. It Can KILL

YAAAAAHOOOOOO! After two or so long weeks, I have finally overcome my writer's block! As a gift to you guys, I won't make this too long, so you can just start reading! Enjoy!

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><p><strong>Chapter 6: It Can KILL<strong>

"So can you do other things besides close combat attacks?" Cynder asked Shike.

"Yep. It depends on what version of myself I choose to be," he answered.

"Version? You mean there are different versions of your imaginary self?" Spyro questioned.

"Yep, each with its own abilities, which often include control over ice or some other element, and almost always include some form of martial arts," Shike replied.

This sort of talk went on for a while, due to the trio's huge interest in Shike and his abilities. Eventually, Cynder decided to ask the one question that was quite possibly the most important one yet. "Is there anything we should know about you, just so we can avoid any accidents?"

Shike's expression suddenly grew serious, causing Cynder and Spyro to become a little worried, and Sparx to say "I don't like that look on his face. It's scaring me!"

Shike then answered in a serious tone, "Yes. Do NOT; I repeat, DO NOT push me beyond my tolerance level. A more accurate term for this would be my 'Point of No Return,' because if you do, I break nearly every personal law I've placed on myself and go on a vengeful rage on whoever caused it. Survivors are quite common, though the people who were my enemies to begin with don't usually live through it, and those that do often end up badly crippled. Allies who go that far find themselves threatened harshly, and usually end up regretting their actions, along with being a LOT more cautious of any similar actions for the rest of their life."

The trio just stared, mouths agape, worried, almost frightened looks on their faces. Sparx was whimpering, "Hush, little baby, don't say a word, mommy's gonna make you a scary god-boy's gonna kill me…"

Shike's expression, tone, and entire presence went back to normal all of a sudden. "But you shouldn't have to worry about that too much. You guys aren't really the type to push me anywhere near that far. If you do, then it's as I said: allies often get out alive, but knowing what not to do again. Those that don't make it out alive are usually just partial allies, like former enemies or known traitors, etc."

The whole trio let out a sigh of relief. Cynder, out of curiosity, decided to ask another question. "What do you mean 'you break nearly every personal law you've placed on yourself'?"

"I mean that I usually follow personal laws that I give myself each time I enter an alternate reality. That way, I don't become too powerful and have everybody relying on only me to do everything. It's also so I don't have to explain all my abilities to everybody. When I break those laws, I use the powers I always have in reserve just in case the need arises. For example, I have placed a personal law on myself preventing me from using my control of the elements in battle most of the time, and sometimes on other occasions. If people make me angry, I usually resort to my control over Ice and Water, among other things, to threaten them or get my revenge. Trust me; a lot of people would say Wind, Earth, and other elements are better. In fact, people often underestimate control over Water, thinking it couldn't hurt them. After all, they drink it, swim in it, and are never really hurt by water unless they fall into it from really high up or make the stupid and/or crazy decision to do a belly flop." Cynder and Spyro smiled at his little joke, and Sparx laughed and said, "I've done that."

Shike continued, "But, they always forget one thing: ice. Those who have control over water will often have control over ice as well. And ice is something that is NOT to be messed with. Another key fact that many normal people forget is that most of the body is made of water. All I have to do is snap my fingers and every molecule of water in the subject's body freezes. Not only does this usually speed up the process of frostbite considerably, but it makes it impossible for them to move. I could also change the temperature of the air to make it freezing-cold around the subject, while controlling my body temperature to stay perfectly warm, slowing the enemy down without doing so to myself. I could focus all the water molecules in the air into a small ball, freeze the particles into little shards, and send them flying at the enemy like an army of ice-cold knives. I could even do more gruesome things. Terrible things that not many people would have the guts to do."

Spyro and Cynder, having lived through an entire war on their own, couldn't help being curious, and decided that Spyro would ask the question on everyone's minds. "What are those?"

A small grin, mischievous yet terrifyingly calm, grew on Shike's face, and his eyes narrowed, as if warning them. "I could pop a crucial artery simply by stopping the flow of blood in one spot, causing the blood to build up and eventually pop it like a water balloon, making the enemy bleed to death internally, with no possible way to stop it. I could freeze my enemy and then make the frozen water molecules form spikes of ice, effectively shredding them to pieces from the inside out. I could manipulate the water molecules in the heart, stopping it from beating, completely halting the flow of blood throughout the entire body of the individual, forcing them to pass out within a matter of seconds, and killing them in a few more. I could cause their insides to explode, I could make them move how I want them to, and I could even shred them bit by bit without them knowing what's going on. Water and Ice are two of the most dominant elements on the planet. Wind can tear things and blow them around, Fire can do nothing but burn, melt, weld, and destroy, and Earth can form into solid, often deadly shapes, such as spikes and large fists, but ICE." His voice grew more sinister as he spoke. "ICE can do all the same stuff as Earth and more, and due to its higher density, is more lethal when used in that sense. Water is all over the place, in the air, in the ground, in your BODY. Water and ice can be used to shred things in even more terrifying ways than wind, because they can move just like the wind, yet still be solid on a microscopic scale, and if controlled correctly, can make something along the lines of a small yet terrible hurricane of microscopic knives. Water and Ice can corrode things until they turn to dust, they can tear things apart from the inside out, they can turn rain storms into hail storms, raining sharp blades or enormous hammer- and boulder-like chunks of ice, they can control the body and even the very MIND of an individual."

Shike stopped, realizing that now even the two dragon heroes had terrified looks on their faces, and Sparx was whimpering so badly he couldn't even sing anymore. Who, or WHAT, was this guy? Shike decided to tell them the other, less sinister benefits of those two powers.

"There are other, kinder benefits, of course. Water can be used to heal, it can be used to get the blood flowing again, it can be used to restart the heart's beating so an electrical charge wouldn't be needed, it can be used to stop major bleeding, it can clean wounds, it can keep wounds closed, it can even nurse an unconscious person back to health by controlling their body as if they were conscious. Water, which is often thought of as the least powerful of elements, is quite the opposite. When combined with the power of ice, it is the MOST powerful, along with being the most useful, of all elements. This is why I do not often use it unless necessary. Or unless not using it would be unnecessary. I love to use them on occasion, as my style of controlling them is quite like a dance. Now I feel I have said too much, and it seems like the party is about over," Shike pointed to the other groups of people around, pointing out the fact that they were now entering their tents or leaving the area, "so why don't we all calm down and call it a night?"

The trio had calmed down somewhat after he had told them about the healing properties of water, but were still a little on edge, and quite speechless at first. Then, Cynder, who had gotten mostly used to that kind of gruesome nature during her darker days, decided to pipe up. "What do you mean? Don't parties for occasions like this usually go on a lot longer?"

Shike realized she had a point and decided to ask Hunter. "Hey, Hunter!"

"Yeah?" Hunter called back as he ran over to the group.

"First of all, sorry about not talking to you much or anything. These guys have just been asking so much about me!" Shike answered.

Hunter just laughed. Being the sort-of hero of Avalar, he knew what that was like.

Shike continued, "Secondly, how long is this party supposed to go on for?"

Hunter suddenly beamed. "That's the beauty of it! This is an overnight party! People will still turn in for the night, but the party will continue in the morning, starting with a large breakfast I hunted down myself!"

Shike understood the reason for that. Some couples or groups may want to rejoice in private with their loved ones.

Hunter then looked at Spyro and Cynder and added in, "I even made sure a special second home was built for you guys to stay in for the night and at other times whenever you feel like it!"

Spyro grew curious. "Which one is it?"

Hunter looked around for a moment, trying to see if he could spot it, then realized he couldn't. He suddenly called out, "SPOTS!" and then waited. Soon, another cheetah ran up to them. He seemed to be quite young, maybe just over eighteen. At first, all but Hunter wondered why he had been named Spots, but once they got a good look at him, they found themselves wondering what other name could possibly fit him. He had spots just like the other cheetahs, but his contrasted with the other colors of his fur so much that they were terribly distracting, especially a big fat one right in the middle of his forehead.

"Spots is our best architect, despite his young age. I had him build the new home for you guys, but I let him choose where to put it and how to build it," Hunter stated. He then turned to Spots. "Where DID you put their new home?"

Spots immediately spoke up. "Actually, it's over in that small clearing over there," he said, pointing over to the flat grassy area almost right next to the camp. "I put it over there so the two dragons could have more privacy, and so it would be more beneficial to them on other occasions. Plus, there should be a red crystal and a green crystal out there, so it could also act as a temporary hospital in times of dire need!"

Hunter just stood there for a moment, eyes wide in astonishment of Spots' great thinking and generosity, and then spoke again. "Well then, I guess we know where your new home is at. I sincerely hope you enjoy it, and now I have my own family to get back to, so it is time that I said good night to you all."

They all said their good-byes and good-nights, then headed to their respective homes. Spyro decided to ask Shike the question, "Where are you staying at?"

Shike didn't seem to notice at first, but then answered, "I don't really plan to stay anywhere in particular. When I'm in a different reality from my own, I often just find a comfortable spot somewhere, usually in the grass or in some rocks, and go to sleep there. Heck, I remember one time when I found a small rock face that had a spot in it that could make the perfect chair during a lecture or meeting of some sort! I just sat there and rested my eyes for a little while. To be honest, I think that was the most comfortable natural place I'd ever fallen asleep in!" Then he laughed, finding it odd that rocks could ever make a more comfortable rest spot than any other natural "bed".

"Are you sure you don't want to stay with us?" Spyro asked.

"Naw, I'll probably just rest in the grass near your place or in a cave behind a waterfall or something. Trust me, I'm fine! Plus, I'd rather give you guys as much privacy as possible for the night. After all, parties tend to make the best nights for romance!"

Spyro blushed, and Cynder just giggled. He did have a point though. Spyro decided where Shike slept wasn't really his business, nor could he change Shike's mind, so he dropped the subject. Eventually, they reached the small home, which was built just like the other Cheetah compounds, but about twice as big. Spyro and co. headed inside as Shike gave a quick "G'night!" and headed to a small patch of grass nearby.

"Spyro, I'm not so sure I can sleep well after THAT speech," Cynder commented.

Sparx piped up. "If you mean the "Make me angry, I kill you" speech, then I don't think I could sleep at all after that! I'm still a little scared!"

Spyro knew what they meant, as he had also been pretty freaked out after that terrifying explanation. Even so, he wasn't about to let something like that get in his way.

"Cynder, just remember, no matter what happens, I WILL be there for you, and I WILL protect you, even if it costs me my life. And remember, Shike is one of the good guys, and it was our fault he told us all that stuff in the first place. We lived through a whole war. We WITNESSED this stuff, and yet we still slept well, somehow. Don't let some stupid speech stop you."

Cynder just sat there for a moment, thinking on how to respond, then nodded her head. "I know, but things like that can still affect your dreams. Then again, I'd prefer a nightmare about something like that over another lifemare, so I guess it's really no biggie!"

Spyro just chuckled a little at her comment, and then said, "I guess you're right, reliving old experiences like those IS worse in a way than living new nonexistent ones." They both just laughed at this and the fact that they had actually been scared of nightmares, and then eventually calmed down. Spyro yawned, and finally said, "Good night, Cynder," and gave her a small kiss. Cynder returned it with an "I love you too. Good night," and then they once again fell asleep with their tails twisted together, Spyro's wing draped over Cynder. Sparx just grumbled to himself, "Oh, yeah, say goodnight to the girlfriend, but not the BEST friend. Yeah, good night to you too, buddy," and then went to sleep in a small bed in a shelf that had been built into the wall for him, proud that Spots had actually remembered him enough to make him a bed.

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><p>Before you ask, no, Shike will not steal the spotlight. He has for a little while, but that happens sometimes when you introduce a new character. All that time was spent introducing himself, so technically, he never really stole the spotlight in the first place. It's basically on all of them now, though. And you can thank the book I've been reading lately, The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel: The Magician, for making me a bit of a better writer for this chapter. As you may have noticed, this chapter is my longest yet. This was purely accidental, but you could count it as a gift of apology to you guys for taking so long. I also noticed that I accidentally added some romance to the end by taking out of the beginning of the next chapter and tossing it into the end of this one, which I did to make the end of this one and the beginning of the next one better. So I also accidentally answered the prayers of those who thought I needed to get some more romance in there. Just to let you know, Chapter 7 is already started (as you can now tell) and I may finish it sometime tonight, meaning I will be posting it tomorrow. I will try to make it another romance chapter. Until then, REJOICE, FOR THE CONSTANT UPDATES ARE ONCE AGAIN UPON US!<p> 


	7. The Dance

Well would ya look at that! Chapter 7 is already up! And it turned out much better than I thought it would! That makes two chapters in a day! And yes, I know I said I'd "update it tomorrow", but I decided to say "screw that, I'm gonna update again tonight!" Anyway, it is basically one big romance scene, so read it and enjoy it! I SAID ENJOY IT! XD

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><p><strong>Chapter 7: The Dance<strong>

The hours passed, the crickets started chirping as all else quieted down, and Cynder found herself still unable to sleep. After all the recent events, she just wasn't tired enough, and her mind was still racing as it tried to comprehend everything Shike had told them. She decided to go out for a little bit, maybe get a quick drink and clear her mind, maybe even stand under the nearby waterfall for a moment. Then again, that would only wake her up more, what with the cold water running down her face. She decided a drink and a small walk would suffice. She began to get up slowly, hoping Spyro wouldn't wake up, but to no avail. Spyro grabbed her leg and asked, "Where are you going so late at night?"

Cynder sighed. "I'm just getting a drink and taking a walk for a minute or two. I couldn't sleep, and doing that usually helps."

"Oh, that makes sense. As a matter of fact, I couldn't sleep either, so I guess I'll join you," he said with a grin.

"You couldn't? You mean you were awake the whole time?"

"Yep, just had my eyes closed in hopes of falling asleep soon, but no such luck."

"Oh. Okay then, I guess we'll BOTH go on a small walk."

They exited their little home and headed over to the river. As Cynder began to take a quick drink, Spyro asked, "So why can't you sleep?"

Cynder stopped and thought for a moment as Spyro began taking his drink, then answered, "I don't know. I guess it's just because there is so much going through my mind right now. I mean, after all that Shike told us, and what with the party going on, the new home, finding out about your little fishing act (Spyro grinned proudly at that comment), and all of my own thoughts and worries, I just find it extremely hard to sleep."

Spyro thought about her words, and then just said, "Well, that must suck."

Cynder just looked at him. "What, you mean that's not why you're awake?"

"Nope. I can't explain why I can't sleep, as I honestly have no clue. Although, now that I think about it, there DOES seem to be something different in the air, but I just can't place it."

Cynder just looked puzzled for a moment, knowing what he meant, yet having no clue as to what caused the change of atmosphere. After all, there DID seem to be something odd about the night, but she couldn't figure out what it was. Then, as she was looking around, it dawned on her. "Wait, where's Shike?"

"Didn't he say he would go sleep behind the waterfall or something?" Spyro asked.

"Yeah, but I saw him lay down in some grass near our place and go to sleep there. He's not there anymore."

Just as they were about to pass it off as a common change in location, they saw a silhouette in a shallower part of the river near the base of the waterfall, and immediately knew it was him. The water seemed strangely calm around his ankles, and some of it even seemed to avoid him. All of a sudden, he spoke.

"You remember what I said about my control over the elements, right?"

Spyro and Cynder had no doubt he knew they were there now, and decided to answer him.

"Well, mostly, yeah," Spyro said.

Shike stayed facing away from them, but they could tell he was grinning.

"Well, I told you it was many things. But the last thing I said was that it was like a dance. Well, that's what I'm about to do. A Dance…"

He paused for a moment, as his very presence seemed to rise greatly in power.

"…of WATER."

As he said the last bit, he threw up his hands in a wide arc, and then slowed down for a moment. The water at the base of the waterfall rose up, seemingly following the motion, and then seemed to float there like pillars of liquid, slowly rising with his hands. He then continued the arc so his hands crossed paths, causing the water to do the same, and then went in reverse and threw his hands straight down. The water followed the motion, crossing paths again and then flowing straight down into the small pool with more force than the waterfall. All this was done in what seemed to be one graceful motion, and the two dragons immediately understood what he had meant when he said it was like a dance, as they couldn't help gaping in awe at the gracefulness he had, combined with the phenomenal power and control he was boasting. Suddenly, Shike was spinning, moving his hands, arms, and legs as if doing a sort of tribal dance. The water seemed to follow every motion, even the motion of his feet on occasion, as it danced and spun around him in great graceful motions. Eventually, he was controlling a small wave of water in the air, the water's graceful path looking like that of the painter's brush. Shike moved his hand above his head at arm's length until it clapped with his other hand. The wave followed the motion until it, too, was floating above his head. He turned both hands so they were facing away from each other, and then moved them in another wide arc down both sides of him, causing the wave to split in two and the two streams to follow his arms down. He continued the motion, moving his hands in a wide arc in front of him up to the point above his head again, then bent over a little and moved them down and out until he looked like a bird preparing to fly. The water followed the motion, the two streams curving upward, flowing up to the point above his head, and then curving to the sides and flying out in both directions. Shike suddenly moved his hands in a small circular motion until his arms crossed in front of his chest. The water curved and flew toward him, nearly hitting the ground in the process, and flew toward his hands. Just as they were almost right in front of him, he twisted his arms a little more until the water was flowing toward the opposite hand from the one controlling it. When the water was about six inches from each hand, he untwisted his arms and moved his hands in a circular motion, then stopped them in front of him, about two feet from each other. The water made a sharp turn and followed the motion of his hands, the stream on the right circling clockwise, the stream on the left circling counterclockwise, forming into a large ball in front of his hands when he stopped. He had just switched which hand controlled which stream. He separated his hands somewhat, splitting the large orb of liquid into two smaller ones. He then jumped, moving his hands outward then circling them toward each other, crossing his arms and pushing his hands out to his sides as he landed. The large blobs of water became two streams again as they followed the motions. However, when the water flowed outward with his hands as it had before, it suddenly froze into a pair of hard masses of ice on either side of him, level with the ground, large spikes protruding from the sides. He created two more streams of water from the small pool he was still standing in, making them arch up and back down onto the closest edges of the ice, then froze them into fancy pillars. Then, he held his hands next to each other above his head, palms facing upward. The moisture in the air began to gather above his palms, forming a ball of mist. He slowly moved his hands outward until his arms formed a sort of Y-shape, causing the mist to lengthen into a curved pole-like shape above the pillars of ice, seeming to connect them, the mist getting thicker and thicker as it did. Then, he moved his hands forward a little, and a box-like shape grew out of the middle of the mist, still following that curved shape, so the bottom was smaller than the top. Shike spread his fingers, and a star-like shape formed on the front of the boxy shape. Eventually, the mist was so thick you couldn't see beyond the first millimeter into it. Shike closed his hands into a fist, causing the now-thicker-than-possible mist to freeze in place, completing his arch. The star-shape became a decorative eight-pointed star on the front of the box, the top, bottom, and two side points bigger than the four points in between them. Shike began to bow, satisfied with his extreme artistry, as the arch he created seemed to complete the scene and end the graceful dance.

Spyro and Cynder just watched all this in awe, amazed at his gracefulness, his skill, and his artistry. Soon, a large grin had grown on both their faces as a result of their fascination.

Shike finished his bow, then left, stating that he should probably go rest now, and that he would leave the two lovebirds alone. As he left, Cynder realized Spyro was staring not at the beautiful scene that had just been created in front of them, but at her.

"What?" she asked.

"I was just thinking of how romantic this was," he answered calmly.

Cynder just looked at him for a moment, then looked back at the arch and said, "I guess this is pretty romantic."

"…Cynder?" Spyro asked.

Cynder turned back to him.

"Yes?"

"May I have this moment?"

Cynder, without hesitation, said "Of course you can, Spyro."

With that, they leaned toward each other into a passionate kiss, not realizing that Shike was hiding behind a nearby bush, watching and smiling at the beautiful scene before him. Soon, he headed into the trees, knowing his job here was done.

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><p>So what did you think? I guess I should have said quick reviews rather than constant ones in the last chapter, because I don't know exactly when Chapter 8 will be up. Probably within the next week though. Anyway, review and subscribe if you haven't already please!<p> 


	8. Bakin' Bacon

****Alright folks, I finally decided to post this rather than add more stuff into this chapter, so if it's a bit short, I apologize for that. I am also REALLY sorry that I haven't updated for so long. No more promises, as there is a TON of stuff to occupy my mind with right now, including at least four other fanfics I've had on my mind for a while, one of which I'm still trying to think up and thus has yet to be written, one of which already has its first chapter up, and the last two have already been started but still need a little work before I can post them. On top of that, I just got Skyward Sword for Christmas, and thus will likely be playing that a lot, as well as Minecraft, Terraria, or Team Fortress 2 whenever I end up on the computer instead. Once I finish Skyward Sword, I will probably continue my experience-grinding in Goldeneye. In other words, it may be quite a while before I actually start writing or even thinking about the next chapter. Lastly, sorry to disappoint you, but this chapter turned out to be more of a filler, which even I am bummed about. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it, and I hope you won't hold the delay against me. Now start reading!

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><p><strong>Chapter 8: Bakin' Bacon<strong>

Spyro and Cynder woke up early the next morning, despite the late night they had. This was because the strong smell of roasting meat intruded on their dreams until it was so strong that it woke them up.

"Mmm, what IS that?" Cynder said, sniffing the air as she walked out of their cabin.

Spyro followed behind. "I think it's…wild boar?" he said.

"Nah, it's probably wild ape!" Shike said.

"AAAH! Where'd you come from?" Sparx yelled out of surprise.

Spyro and Cynder just laughed at Shike's joke, not surprised in the least that he had snuck up on them. They were already too used to that by now, due to the recent war.

"Do you really think so?" Spyro asked.

"I doubt it. The apes were condemned to be skeletal ghosts for the rest of their lives, remember?"

"So do you think it could be wild boar after all?" Cynder asked.

"Probably, but I wouldn't know. I've actually never had wild boar before. Although, if it's anything like pork, then I can cook up a GREAT side-dish!"

Spyro was almost drooling now. All the food talk was making him hungry!

"And what would that be?" he asked Shike out of curiosity and hunger.

"It's called…" Shike paused for effect, "…BACON."

Sparx looked confused. "I thought that was a method of cooking."

Shike laughed. "No, Sparx, that's baking. I'm talking about BACON."

"Yeah, that's what I said. Baking," Sparx said again, obviously thinking Shike had just contradicted himself.

Shike shook his head in annoyance.

"I'll just have to show you what I mean, Sparx. You just don't seem to be getting my point. Now, who's up for breakfast?"

"Well, well, well, look who showed up just in time for breakfast!" Hunter said upon seeing the group of heroes enter the encampment. "Come on over and enjoy yourselves!"

Shike walked over to a small plate with sliced meat on it. He picked up a piece and tasted it. "Yep. Just like pork!" he said. He realized then that there was another boar still lying near the fire, waiting to be cooked. Shike walked over to Hunter.

"Hey, Hunter, can I try something with that boar?" he asked him, pointing to the one he'd spotted.

"What is it you want to do?" Hunter answered, curious. "If it's for target practice, then no."

Shike laughed. "No, it's not for target practice. I wanted to see if I could cook up a side dish from my own world with some of the meat. It's got AMAZING flavor when you cook it right!"

"Oh, in that case, go ahead!" Hunter replied, a grin suddenly stretching across his face.

Shike walked over to the boar and stooped down next to it. Then, he pulled out a sheath sewn out of a strange black material (nylon). It had what looked like a large knife, probably for hunting, and a small pocket on the side of the sheath with a smaller identical knife in it. The word "HUMVEE" was embroidered in red on the front of the pocket. Each knife had a handle that seemed to be made of a black-colored wood, with grooves in it to allow for better grip. There was one groove for each finger minus the thumb, for a total of four evenly spaced grooves. The hand guard and the base of the handle seemed to be made of metal. The hand guard curved toward the base a little in front and was shorter in the back, whereas the base curved toward the hand guard in the same fashion in the front but didn't extend at all in the back. Shike pulled out the bigger one, the blade of which seemed to be about 7.3 inches long and about 1.5 inches wide at its widest point, where the dull edge began to curve inward toward the sharp edge. For some odd reason, it seemed to have a small blackish design on one side of the blade, on which that same word "HUMVEE" could be seen in the same blackish color.

Shike began to cut a chunk out of the large boar's belly. Once he was done with that, he set down the large knife and carried the lump, which was shaped a bit like a cube but more rectangular, over to a nearby cutting board. He then walked over to where he had been a moment before and picked up the knife. He walked back to the table and began to slice the meat into smaller rectangular chunks about an inch wide, and then set the large blade aside. After he had done that, he pulled the smaller blade out of the sheath. The blade for that one was, as expected, completely identical to the larger one in every way, but on a smaller scale, just like the handle. Shike's hands seemed to fit the handle perfectly for this one, due to the smaller size of grooves. He grabbed hold of one of the rectangles of meat and began to cut it into thin strips. He continued to do the same to the rest of the rectangles of meat, and when he was done, set the knife down and ran over to Hunter.

"Hunter, where did you put that pan I brought?" he asked politely.

"Oh, just a sec, I'll go get it for ya," Hunter said, then headed for his own cabin. He came back out holding a large iron pan. He handed it to Shike, who said "Thanks," and went back to what he had been doing before. Shike suddenly turned around and said "Oh yeah, you can do what you want with the boar now! I won't need any more of it!"

"Thanks!" Hunter replied.

Shike set the frying pan on the table near the meat he had cut, put a few strips in it side by side, and set the pan on a grill over the fire. The grill had been recently built by the Moles as a gift to the Avalarians for aiding in the recent war effort, as cooking on a grill had been getting quite popular lately, and more essential for helping get rid of diseases while still cooking the food thoroughly and evenly. Shike left for a quick moment to go clean off the knives in the nearby river. When he came back, the meat was sizzling in the pan. Shike waited for about another minute for it to finish cooking, then took the pan off the grill. He took the pan back to the table and began to take the cooked meat out of it, putting it onto a plate and replacing it with more uncooked strips, during which he could be heard singing "IIIII've been bakin' me some baaaaacon, aaaaall the livelong daaaaay!" He did this a few more times, catching Spyro trying to sneak a bite in the process, and finally finished the last batch.

"ALRIGHT, BACON'S READY!" he said to everyone within earshot, mainly to the pair of heroes/lovers and their little jester.

He pulled a few pieces off for himself, then grabbed a plate and put some other forms of meat on it, as well as some fruit that was sitting out. He then went over to a rock a little distance away from the crowd of people, which was now gathering around his amazing recipe, and sat down to eat his breakfast. As he sat there, he saw Spyro grab a piece off of the plate, take a bite, then almost faint at the phenomenal flavor it had. He grabbed a few more pieces and handed them to Cynder, then grabbed a last few for himself. He broke off one small piece and gave it to Sparx, then headed over to a spot next to Shike, trying to resist the urge to gobble up all of his bacon at once. Cynder took a small bite as she followed, and then made a face similar to Spyro's when he had his taste.

"MMMM, that is so GOOD!" she said.

"What IS this stuff?" Sparx asked, obviously amazed as well.

"I already told you Sparx. It's bacon!" Shike replied.

"Yeah, I know you baked it, I think we've already established that, but what is the MEAT called?" he asked again.

Shike sighed in frustration, amazed at the thought that anyone could possibly be so dense. He'd already known Sparx was dense, but this was just IMPOSSIBLE.

"Sparx, what you are talking about is BAKING. What I'M talking about is BACON. BAKING is spelled B-A-K-I-N-G. BACON is spelled B-A-C-O-N. I know, it's a strange similarity, but that's what it's called!" he answered, trying to make Sparx understand.

Sparx just got a confused face again, and then suddenly realized what Shike had been trying to tell him. "OOOOOOHH, NOW I get it," he said at last.

"Feh! Took ya long enough!" Shike said.

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><p>Alright, there you have it, chapter 8 of one of my most popular fics, Lovebirds! Again, don't plan on another update for quite a while. Sorry about that, but you know life. It can be the best of times, or it can be the worst of times (XD famous quote reference FTW). Oh great. I call myself the King of Irony for a reason. Just watch, now that I've said it will be a while, the next one will be up by the end of the month. Let's see if it happens or not. If it doesn't, oh well. If it does, maybe I should jinx myself into writing the rest from now on. XD Leave a review please!<p> 


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